I just received this video clip from a dear friend of mine who is a professional race car driver. He has been passionate about road safety believing that racing is best left to the track. The following video clip demonstrates how a split second can be the difference between life and death. Click Here to View.
Please Note: This video is quite graphic and somewhat disturbing...!!!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Getting Your New Driver Out of the Parking Lot!
A great space for your new driver to acquire some basic driving skills is a parking lot. Keep in mind though that parking lots do have busy times, so be sure to select a quiet time for that particular parking lot. Next step, you and your new driver will want to experience the street scene.
Here are some tips to keep safe! Choose an Appropriate Area – Taking a new driver from the parking lot to a busy road with too many distractions will overwhelm and stress you both! Find an area that has a few parked cars, a slow speed and fairly straight roads without blind curves or hills. Your residential area is generally good as they are familiar with the surroundings.
How to Keep Your New Driver Centred in Their Lane – Practice having your new driver look well ahead down the road, this is a good rule for them to be seeing what is going on a full block ahead. Have them talk to you while they are driving. Ask them what they are seeing. Get them to talk while they drive, which helps you know they see any potentially dangers they could encounter. An example is: “I see a bus pulled over to the side of the road” or “I see a pedestrian waiting to cross the street” or “I see a car backing out of their driveway”. As their co-driver, your job is to ensure they have time to act appropriately. Scan Every Intersection with L.C.R. – An important set of letters to learn to drive through an intersection are L.C.R. - LEFT, CENTRE, and RIGHT. Have your new driver scan EVERY intersection (with traffic lights and without). The scan should be completed before they enter the intersection. If they are stopped at a red light, always have your new driver scan LCR:
1. WHEN the light turns green.
2. BEFORE they enter the intersection.
This allows for a brief pause before entering the intersection which is a potentially life saving move. Most cars running a yellow or red light would have been through by the time your new driver enters.
Consider having a Professional MTO Approved Driving School Train your New Driver - The benefit of proper training is the creation of life saving habits. The best way to create new habits is by doing and practicing skills until they become engrained. Simulation training is one solution to help establish these habits. The aviation industry understands this principle as simulation training is an integral part of a pilots training program. The combined approached of simulation training as well as on-road training provides the best foundation for keeping new drivers safe and collision free. DriveWise driver training program uses the simulator as a learning tool during the classroom training time. The new driver will be taught basic skills like hand over hand steering and proper left and right hand turns on the simulator first which is then re-enforced on road in-car with their driving instructor. This combined with plenty of practice builds the foundation of proper habits. Simulation training goes beyond basic skills delving into more advanced driving techniques and showing new drivers how to handle all emergency scenarios while safely in the classroom. The simulator helps build the new driver’s confidence which in turn gives the co-driver the confidence to take the new driver out of the parking lots!
Here are some tips to keep safe! Choose an Appropriate Area – Taking a new driver from the parking lot to a busy road with too many distractions will overwhelm and stress you both! Find an area that has a few parked cars, a slow speed and fairly straight roads without blind curves or hills. Your residential area is generally good as they are familiar with the surroundings.
How to Keep Your New Driver Centred in Their Lane – Practice having your new driver look well ahead down the road, this is a good rule for them to be seeing what is going on a full block ahead. Have them talk to you while they are driving. Ask them what they are seeing. Get them to talk while they drive, which helps you know they see any potentially dangers they could encounter. An example is: “I see a bus pulled over to the side of the road” or “I see a pedestrian waiting to cross the street” or “I see a car backing out of their driveway”. As their co-driver, your job is to ensure they have time to act appropriately. Scan Every Intersection with L.C.R. – An important set of letters to learn to drive through an intersection are L.C.R. - LEFT, CENTRE, and RIGHT. Have your new driver scan EVERY intersection (with traffic lights and without). The scan should be completed before they enter the intersection. If they are stopped at a red light, always have your new driver scan LCR:
1. WHEN the light turns green.
2. BEFORE they enter the intersection.
This allows for a brief pause before entering the intersection which is a potentially life saving move. Most cars running a yellow or red light would have been through by the time your new driver enters.
Consider having a Professional MTO Approved Driving School Train your New Driver - The benefit of proper training is the creation of life saving habits. The best way to create new habits is by doing and practicing skills until they become engrained. Simulation training is one solution to help establish these habits. The aviation industry understands this principle as simulation training is an integral part of a pilots training program. The combined approached of simulation training as well as on-road training provides the best foundation for keeping new drivers safe and collision free. DriveWise driver training program uses the simulator as a learning tool during the classroom training time. The new driver will be taught basic skills like hand over hand steering and proper left and right hand turns on the simulator first which is then re-enforced on road in-car with their driving instructor. This combined with plenty of practice builds the foundation of proper habits. Simulation training goes beyond basic skills delving into more advanced driving techniques and showing new drivers how to handle all emergency scenarios while safely in the classroom. The simulator helps build the new driver’s confidence which in turn gives the co-driver the confidence to take the new driver out of the parking lots!
The Lost Art of Courteous Driving
Have you ever noticed that driving has changed a lot in the last 5 years? Road ways appear to be more hostile environments than ever before. First of all there appears to be more cars and trucks traveling the roads these days even this past summer when we were at peak gas prices. The people driving all of these cars seem to be in more of a rush, a heck of a lot less courteous to the other road users. There also appears to be more distractions for the driver, with less focus being paid to the task at hand which is driving. Think back 5 years ago, it wasn’t common place for people to have DVD’s constantly playing in the cars for their children. Everyone has cell phones now a day and they aren’t always being used for talking, texting is the worst distraction when done in combination with driving. People are more anxious in general these days rushing trying to get to work on time has never been more important which causes our anxiety levels to escalate which can often lead to poor driving.
We've all been taught that we must learn to drive defensively to stay collision free on the road ways today but what if the best defensive maneuver was a proactive technique? If you have to use a defensive maneuver it is because you are reacting to something that has occurred a few seconds before. Driving with courtesy to other road users can be the best proactive driving technique.
Road rage has been a big problem that contributes to the collision rates and has been reportedly increasing by 7% per year. Road rage happens for many reasons, mostly stemming from stress. Heavy traffic, feeling rushed, having a conflict with someone on the cell phone or another passenger in the vehicle, other road users behaviour, bad weather, unfavourable road conditions and fatique can all contribute to the stress of the driver. Road rage occurs as a reaction to these stresses. As drivers it is our responsibility to recognize that we can not control these outside factors but rather we must control our reactions to them. There comes a point when drivers must take personal responsibility for their actions. In the end, how we control our anger is the best offense/defense against this growing problem. If people drive responsibly and courteously they will reduce the chances of conflict on the road.
Experts recommend the following tips to drive courteously and avoid road conflicts:
We've all been taught that we must learn to drive defensively to stay collision free on the road ways today but what if the best defensive maneuver was a proactive technique? If you have to use a defensive maneuver it is because you are reacting to something that has occurred a few seconds before. Driving with courtesy to other road users can be the best proactive driving technique.
Road rage has been a big problem that contributes to the collision rates and has been reportedly increasing by 7% per year. Road rage happens for many reasons, mostly stemming from stress. Heavy traffic, feeling rushed, having a conflict with someone on the cell phone or another passenger in the vehicle, other road users behaviour, bad weather, unfavourable road conditions and fatique can all contribute to the stress of the driver. Road rage occurs as a reaction to these stresses. As drivers it is our responsibility to recognize that we can not control these outside factors but rather we must control our reactions to them. There comes a point when drivers must take personal responsibility for their actions. In the end, how we control our anger is the best offense/defense against this growing problem. If people drive responsibly and courteously they will reduce the chances of conflict on the road.
Experts recommend the following tips to drive courteously and avoid road conflicts:
- Plan your route in advance - Some of the most erratic and inconsiderate driving occurs when motorists are lost.
- Make a conscious decision not to take problems with you when you drive - This includes lengthy heated discussions on cell phones as well as with passengers. Pull over deal with the conflict, take a few deep breaths and then when you are calm again return to the task of driving.
- Drive in a courteous and considerate manner - Give the right of way at busy intersections and where traffic lanes merge. By giving someone else the right-of-way you stay in control of the situation. Just because you may be entitled to go first, the other driver may not give way. Doing the courteous thing will keep you collision free.
- Don't compete - Don't try to beat someone to the light or swerve in and out of traffic lanes to get ahead of an annoying driver, rather let aggressive drivers stay ahead of you. If someone's driving annoys you, don't try to "educate them". Leave traffic enforcement to the police.
- Don't tailgate - If someone is tailgating you, move over and let them pass. Weaving and darting rarely gains anyone more than a few minutes on their travel time but it does increase everyone's stress level, so be proactive and move over to let them pass - keeping these aggressive drivers ahead of you keeps you in control.
- Don't retaliate - You can't control what someone else does, but you can control yourself - by flipping someone the bird or some other obscene gesture, making eye contact with an angry driver or honking your horn to make a point, may give you a momentary sense of satisfaction, but it may cause the situation to become more dangerous as the results of this retaliation can be unpredictable.
There comes a point when drivers must decide whether being "right" out weighs doing the "right thing" or being courteous. In the end, how we control our reaction to a situation is a great offensive/defensive maneuver against this growing problem. Putting common courteousy and decency back into your driving will put you on the road to a lifetime of collision free driving!!
Source for this posting came in part from “source Beverly Beuermann-King,
www.WorkSmartLiveSmart.com”
Friday, December 5, 2008
Lessons learned on drinking and driving
Article in Oakville Today
By Ian Holroyd
Arts & Entertainment
Dec 04, 2008
Never in my life have police officers been so eager to see me drink beer.
I volunteered to be a guinea pig for the Halton Regional Police Service impaired driving media event hosted by Drivewise driving school last Friday.
My job was to have lunch, drink beer, take breathalyzers as I progress – or regress as it were – and drive a state of the art driving simulator.
It was the sweetest assignment that has ever come across my desk.
If I took too long with a beer, an officer was right there to get me going again and if my beer was low an officer was there to top me up. It was the best service I have ever had.
But I wasn’t there just to enjoy the company, the beverages and the corned beef sandwiches with sauerkraut–delicious by the way–I was there to report on the seriousness of drinking and driving and how alcohol can affect everyone differently.
I am a lanky fellow and alcohol affects me in a way that I can only describe as, debilitating.
After five beers and a corned beef sandwich, I was having, what I thought, was an eloquent, intelligent conversation with officer Keith Nakahara. He noticed I was slurring my speech and administered a quick eye test.
Officer Nakahara thought that I would be lucky to pass a breathalyzer and at least I would blow a 12-hour suspension.
‘There is no way I’m going to blow over already,’ I thought. But boy can he spot ‘em.
I did a breathalyzer right away. I blew a .070, still under the legal limit of .080 but over the .050 of a 12-hour suspension. I was shocked. I only had five beers.
I spoke with a gentleman named Rich who was all too familiar with the process of being charged with impaired driving. He volunteered his time to speak with the media and warn the public about the dangers of drinking and getting behind the wheel.
“There is a lot of humiliation involved with getting pulled over,” said Rich. “But, I was lucky enough not to hurt anybody or myself in the process.”
Along the embarrassment of being charged with impaired, Rich had to pay an $1100 fine and had a year suspension on his license. After the year, he had the option of serving a second year suspension on his license or installing a breathalyzer in his car at his expense. The breathalyzer, with installation, recalibration and extraction, cost him about $1000 when all was said and done.
It is worth the $10 cab ride.
“We’re all adults and we’ve go to make adult choices,” said Rich.
On that note, I cracked my seventh beer because by then I was determined to blow over and tackle the Drivewise simulator.
I was getting loose and feeling confident that I could beat the machine. Alcohol affects people in strange ways.
I blew a .132 with my next breathalyzer, almost double the legal limit and was ready to go. As I was waiting my turn, another volunteer, Steph Cousens, 23, hit a pedestrian in her virtual reality auto and I started to get nervous.
I buckled my seat belt and started her up, so far so good. I pulled away, but I forgot to turn my blinker off. Apparently, I was speeding too.
I spotted a cute little deer grazing at the side of the road. “You stay right there,” I said pointing at him, looking through one half opened eye. Like I said, alcohol affects people in crazy ways.
Next thing I knew, Bambi was smeared across the grill of my simulated sedan. I didn’t even see it coming. There was a large crash and I was sent clear to the other side of the road.
I was dead and the deer was dead all because I was too drunk to drive.
Every year Halton Police and MADD Canada embark upon anti-drinking and driving campaigns around the holidays, but people still don’t get the message. If you drink, don’t drive. It just isn’t worth it.For more information about not drinking and driving visit, www.madd.ca or for more information on the Halton Regional Police Service visit www.hrps.on.ca.
By Ian Holroyd
Arts & Entertainment
Dec 04, 2008
Never in my life have police officers been so eager to see me drink beer.
I volunteered to be a guinea pig for the Halton Regional Police Service impaired driving media event hosted by Drivewise driving school last Friday.
My job was to have lunch, drink beer, take breathalyzers as I progress – or regress as it were – and drive a state of the art driving simulator.
It was the sweetest assignment that has ever come across my desk.
If I took too long with a beer, an officer was right there to get me going again and if my beer was low an officer was there to top me up. It was the best service I have ever had.
But I wasn’t there just to enjoy the company, the beverages and the corned beef sandwiches with sauerkraut–delicious by the way–I was there to report on the seriousness of drinking and driving and how alcohol can affect everyone differently.
I am a lanky fellow and alcohol affects me in a way that I can only describe as, debilitating.
After five beers and a corned beef sandwich, I was having, what I thought, was an eloquent, intelligent conversation with officer Keith Nakahara. He noticed I was slurring my speech and administered a quick eye test.
Officer Nakahara thought that I would be lucky to pass a breathalyzer and at least I would blow a 12-hour suspension.
‘There is no way I’m going to blow over already,’ I thought. But boy can he spot ‘em.
I did a breathalyzer right away. I blew a .070, still under the legal limit of .080 but over the .050 of a 12-hour suspension. I was shocked. I only had five beers.
I spoke with a gentleman named Rich who was all too familiar with the process of being charged with impaired driving. He volunteered his time to speak with the media and warn the public about the dangers of drinking and getting behind the wheel.
“There is a lot of humiliation involved with getting pulled over,” said Rich. “But, I was lucky enough not to hurt anybody or myself in the process.”
Along the embarrassment of being charged with impaired, Rich had to pay an $1100 fine and had a year suspension on his license. After the year, he had the option of serving a second year suspension on his license or installing a breathalyzer in his car at his expense. The breathalyzer, with installation, recalibration and extraction, cost him about $1000 when all was said and done.
It is worth the $10 cab ride.
“We’re all adults and we’ve go to make adult choices,” said Rich.
On that note, I cracked my seventh beer because by then I was determined to blow over and tackle the Drivewise simulator.
I was getting loose and feeling confident that I could beat the machine. Alcohol affects people in strange ways.
I blew a .132 with my next breathalyzer, almost double the legal limit and was ready to go. As I was waiting my turn, another volunteer, Steph Cousens, 23, hit a pedestrian in her virtual reality auto and I started to get nervous.
I buckled my seat belt and started her up, so far so good. I pulled away, but I forgot to turn my blinker off. Apparently, I was speeding too.
I spotted a cute little deer grazing at the side of the road. “You stay right there,” I said pointing at him, looking through one half opened eye. Like I said, alcohol affects people in crazy ways.
Next thing I knew, Bambi was smeared across the grill of my simulated sedan. I didn’t even see it coming. There was a large crash and I was sent clear to the other side of the road.
I was dead and the deer was dead all because I was too drunk to drive.
Every year Halton Police and MADD Canada embark upon anti-drinking and driving campaigns around the holidays, but people still don’t get the message. If you drink, don’t drive. It just isn’t worth it.For more information about not drinking and driving visit, www.madd.ca or for more information on the Halton Regional Police Service visit www.hrps.on.ca.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
McGuinty Government Proposes New Rules For Novice Drivers And Tougher
Many people are hoping that these new changes to the graduated licensing system will improve road safety.
The Graduated Licensing System does work...14 years after this program began, fatalities and injuries among teen drivers have declined by almost 25%.
These improvements propsed has caused anger among "young" drivers...when browsing around facebook, checking out groups spefically "young drivers" there are a lot of posting showing young people outraged by the proposed changes, and what seems apparent from the posts, is how the Government defines "young" or "teen" the category places anyone between the ages of 16-21. Well many people past 19 don't associate themselves as a teen any longer, and this seems to have struck a cord for many who are posting messages out there.
The other overwhelming responses have to do with passenger restrictions. While speaking with one mother yesterday, she indicated that many times this is how her daughter gets to soccer practice and it is really going to put more cars back onto the roadways...?!? Perhaps the legislation should restrict the number of passengers after a certain hour of the day...maybe evening hours...when the partying is likely to occur. Having said that statistic are a series of facts, and unfortunately the facts show that young people do crash more often when there are more then 1 passenger in the vehicle. It all comes down to distractions...'Young' drivers simply do not have the experience to handle too many distractions while they are driving...that is not to say that older people are really any better in handling distractions, simply we have a depth of knowledge of the consequences of those distractions, and do tend to behave with slightly more caution. Young people just simply do not have the consequences ingrained as a real possibility.
I will be going through the new legislation and creating several posts over the next few days to wade through all of these new changes.
The Graduated Licensing System does work...14 years after this program began, fatalities and injuries among teen drivers have declined by almost 25%.
These improvements propsed has caused anger among "young" drivers...when browsing around facebook, checking out groups spefically "young drivers" there are a lot of posting showing young people outraged by the proposed changes, and what seems apparent from the posts, is how the Government defines "young" or "teen" the category places anyone between the ages of 16-21. Well many people past 19 don't associate themselves as a teen any longer, and this seems to have struck a cord for many who are posting messages out there.
The other overwhelming responses have to do with passenger restrictions. While speaking with one mother yesterday, she indicated that many times this is how her daughter gets to soccer practice and it is really going to put more cars back onto the roadways...?!? Perhaps the legislation should restrict the number of passengers after a certain hour of the day...maybe evening hours...when the partying is likely to occur. Having said that statistic are a series of facts, and unfortunately the facts show that young people do crash more often when there are more then 1 passenger in the vehicle. It all comes down to distractions...'Young' drivers simply do not have the experience to handle too many distractions while they are driving...that is not to say that older people are really any better in handling distractions, simply we have a depth of knowledge of the consequences of those distractions, and do tend to behave with slightly more caution. Young people just simply do not have the consequences ingrained as a real possibility.
I will be going through the new legislation and creating several posts over the next few days to wade through all of these new changes.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Texting & Driving Don't Mix...
This was the title of a news cast done on ABC News tonight...
Click on the title and go watch the broadcast...this message speaks volumes...!!!
Click on the title and go watch the broadcast...this message speaks volumes...!!!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Article in the Globe & Mail about potential changes in the Graduated Licensing System
ROAD SAFETY
Ontario eyeing tougher rules for new young drivers
Details of proposed changes not released but could include longer wait to get full licence
COLIN PERKEL
The Canadian Press
September 11, 2008
TORONTO -- New young drivers in Ontario could face tougher restrictions such as a longer wait to get a full licence and tighter rules about carrying passengers if new legislation passes this fall, the provincial government said yesterday.
Transportation Minister Jim Bradley said in an interview that he has been pondering changes to the province's 14-year-old graduated licensing system that would target new drivers.
"It's not that we're trying to pick on young people but that's where we see accidents happening over the years," Mr. Bradley said.
"There's a feeling that young people are more easily influenced by outside circumstances than others are."
Statistics indicate new drivers - especially younger ones - are more accident prone. To deal with the issue, Ontario introduced graduated licensing for new drivers in 1994.
The current licence for new drivers keeps them off certain major highways, sets a minimum 20 months before earning full driving privileges, and limits how many people new drivers can carry in their vehicle.
One person pushing for tighter rules for young drivers is Tim Mulcahy, whose 20-year-old son, Tyler, and friends, Kourosh Totonchian, 19, and Cory Mintz, 20, were killed in a crash after drinking at a restaurant in Muskoka, an area north of Toronto popular with cottagers.
The three young men died when the car they were in plunged into the waters of Lake Joseph, near Minett, Ont., in July.
Police said speed and alcohol were factors in the crash.
Mr. Mulcahy, who has written Premier Dalton McGuinty urging tougher rules, is pushing the provincial government to revoke the licences of young drivers who are caught either speeding or drinking for between three months and a year.
Speaking before a cabinet meeting yesterday, Mr. McGuinty called the crash a "terrible tragedy" and expressed sympathy with the idea of tougher licensing.
"The dad is taking inspiration from the death of his son to look for a public policy change, which he believes would make the roads safer for all our kids," Mr. McGuinty said.
"He may be onto something."
Mr. McGuinty said he did not have details of the proposed changes that could come this fall and Mr. Bradley was reluctant to provide them pending review by his cabinet colleagues.
"Suffice to say it's designed to make our roads safer," Mr. Bradley said.
He said other individuals and groups have also expressed support for changes to toughen the licensing requirements.
It's important to ensure young people develop sound habits at the start of their driving careers, he added.
Ontario eyeing tougher rules for new young drivers
Details of proposed changes not released but could include longer wait to get full licence
COLIN PERKEL
The Canadian Press
September 11, 2008
TORONTO -- New young drivers in Ontario could face tougher restrictions such as a longer wait to get a full licence and tighter rules about carrying passengers if new legislation passes this fall, the provincial government said yesterday.
Transportation Minister Jim Bradley said in an interview that he has been pondering changes to the province's 14-year-old graduated licensing system that would target new drivers.
"It's not that we're trying to pick on young people but that's where we see accidents happening over the years," Mr. Bradley said.
"There's a feeling that young people are more easily influenced by outside circumstances than others are."
Statistics indicate new drivers - especially younger ones - are more accident prone. To deal with the issue, Ontario introduced graduated licensing for new drivers in 1994.
The current licence for new drivers keeps them off certain major highways, sets a minimum 20 months before earning full driving privileges, and limits how many people new drivers can carry in their vehicle.
One person pushing for tighter rules for young drivers is Tim Mulcahy, whose 20-year-old son, Tyler, and friends, Kourosh Totonchian, 19, and Cory Mintz, 20, were killed in a crash after drinking at a restaurant in Muskoka, an area north of Toronto popular with cottagers.
The three young men died when the car they were in plunged into the waters of Lake Joseph, near Minett, Ont., in July.
Police said speed and alcohol were factors in the crash.
Mr. Mulcahy, who has written Premier Dalton McGuinty urging tougher rules, is pushing the provincial government to revoke the licences of young drivers who are caught either speeding or drinking for between three months and a year.
Speaking before a cabinet meeting yesterday, Mr. McGuinty called the crash a "terrible tragedy" and expressed sympathy with the idea of tougher licensing.
"The dad is taking inspiration from the death of his son to look for a public policy change, which he believes would make the roads safer for all our kids," Mr. McGuinty said.
"He may be onto something."
Mr. McGuinty said he did not have details of the proposed changes that could come this fall and Mr. Bradley was reluctant to provide them pending review by his cabinet colleagues.
"Suffice to say it's designed to make our roads safer," Mr. Bradley said.
He said other individuals and groups have also expressed support for changes to toughen the licensing requirements.
It's important to ensure young people develop sound habits at the start of their driving careers, he added.
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